Movie Night with the Dresdens
by StridingValkrie
Summary: Maggie Dresden spends the weekend with Harry and Murphy. Post Skin Game, definitely AU. Basically a bunch of family fluff!
1. Start of the Weekend

Harry wrung his hands together once more, leaning from foot to foot, nerves rattling with excitement and perhaps even a small dose of dread. And over by his side, was Karrin Murphy, shaking her head in disbelief watching her 6-foot boyfriend quake in his boots over the mere idea of seeing his daughter.

Why was he nervous? Well, tonight was the start of the first-ever weekend that Maggie would be spending with them. After weeks of surprise jobs and cancellations, Harry knew that he couldn't put off spending time with Maggie any longer. Plus, Murphy offered to host them at her house. Which, in fairness, was pretty much where he always was at when he wasn't off doing something for Mab or on a case.

Anyway, so there Harry was stepping up to the front door of Casa de Carpenter, wringing his hands and stalling for time. How was it that Harry Dresden, Winter Knight, was nervous to spend the weekend with his two favourite girls?

"Harry, snap out of it you big dork!"

"Sorry!", he yelped as Karrin suddenly smacked his arm. Stepping past him, Murphy quickly jogged up the steps and rang the doorbell.

"You didn't have to hit me," Harry mumbled defensively, as he rubbed his shoulder, "I was just about to knock."

The front door opened and a very amused looking Charity Carpenter leaned by the entrance pretending to glare at her watch.

"You know Harry, I was expecting a phone call explaining why you had to postpone your daddy-daughter weekend again," She said as she pointed to her watch and nodded at Harry.

Harry coughed and smiled meekly as he stepped up to the porch. The snide comment was a bit of a low blow considering that while Harry persevered to be a good father, his rather time-consuming jobs tended to interfere with his duties as a parent. Feeling like a reprimanded schoolboy, Harry bowed his head and quietly murmured, "Sorry, Charity."

Seeing Harry hurt like that caused Charity to come forward and hug him, her small frame dwarfed by his tree trunk-like torso.

"Don't worry Harry, you're a good father, I was just teasing you," she reassured him. Across from her, Karrin nodded towards Charity silently thanking her for putting Harry's mind to rest.

"So, where's my little pumpkin?" asked Harry.

"Here Dad!", he heard echoing out of the house as little footsteps and big thumping steps came thundering out to the front door. Before Harry could even step out of the way, a flash of yellow came barrelling towards his legs and he looked down to see his daughter hugging the life out of his legs.

"Hi, Dad! I knew you would make it tonight! Mouse was so sure of it."

"Hey, there munchkin. You know I wouldn't miss this for the world", Harry replied, as he leaned down to hug Maggie, he realized that the flash of yellow was in fact an adorable marigold blouse that she wore.

"Daaaad, don't ruffle my dress too much, it took Aunt Charity really long to iron down", Maggie whined over Harry's shoulders. He released her and Maggie immediately started running her little hands over the dress in an effort to smooth it down.

Noticing her predicament, Harry drew up a tiny bit of will and whispered, "Suavizar", which instantly caused a rush of wind to straighten out Maggie's dress. With a jolt of surprise, Maggie giggled as she felt the slight breeze caress her dress and she turned to her father with a wide smile across her face.

That alone made up for all those nights Harry doubted his choice of taking up the mantle of a father, he smiled back full of pride and tried to commit Maggie's beautiful smile to memory.

As he slowly stood back up, he noticed Murph giving Mouse a rather enthusiastic belly rub, which Mouse clearly loved as his massive tail thumped the porch floor rather soundly.

"Hiya Aunt Murphy! I was so excited when I heard you were coming too, we can finally finish up the last few chapters of Nancy Drew," Maggie exclaimed, walking around her dad to greet Karrin.

"Hey there Maggie, you know I would never miss a weekend with you," Murphy replied as she disentangled her limbs from the giant Foo dog. She ruffled Mouse on the top of his head and knelt down to embrace Maggie.

"You know, your dad doesn't use his magic to smooth my clothes down, so you must be extra special," she said as she stood up breaking the hug with Maggie.

"No way!", Maggie countered, "Daddy always says he has two special girls, that's you and me."

Harry blushed cherry red as his daughter defended his honour, he walked a bit towards Maggie and brushed some stray locks of hair off her face, "You're right pumpkin, I do other kinds of magic on Aunt Murphy though."

Now it was Murphy's turn to blush a deep shade of red as she stifled a giggle and said, "Alright, enough teasing, we have a movie to catch."

Turning away from the front door, the trio bade goodbye to Charity and headed towards the car.

As Murphy reached out to open the driver's side door, she turned and whistled back towards the porch where a rather sullen-looking Mouse suddenly perked up and bounded in the direction of the car.

"We can't have lil' Maggie missing her best friend this weekend, can we?" Karrin remarked as she opened the back doors to let the Foo dog in.

Patting the dog as he climbed into the back seat, Maggie stammered out, "Thank you Aunt Murph! I didn't think you would let Mouse come along."

"Aw, Maggie, he's always welcome to hang with us, plus who will keep those pesky rats away from my kitchen?", Murphy noted while giving Harry a quick glare, as she slid into the driver's seat and started the engine.

Harry winked at the mention of pesky rats raiding Murph's kitchen and strode over to enter the passenger seat, he asked, "So, who's ready to watch The Lion King?", and in response, he heard Maggie squeal out in delight.


	2. Bedtime Stories

"Daaad" Maggie whined, "you don't have to stand there to make sure I brush my teeth."

Harry stood by the doorway of the toilet leaning on the doorframe, he nodded, "But I do need to see you brush your teeth well, or else the cavity monsters will eat your teeth away". Mouse agreed with Harry by thumping his tail.

"Mouse! Who's side are you on?", cried Maggie as she continued to brush her teeth.

Stifling a less than manly giggle, Harry sat on the side of Maggie's bed and brushed his hand through Mouse's coat, "Well, it seems that Mouse wants to make sure your teeth are safe."

"Hmmph." Maggie spat out the toothpaste and finished up her night routine. Walking out of the toilet, she padded over to the bed and waited for Harry to pull her up.

"Dad, I love you but can I get Aunt Murph to read me the last chapters of Nancy Drew?", asked Maggie as her dad raised her onto the bed.

Clasping his hand over his heart and mimicking a heart attack, Harry gasped out, "Ah, you've betrayed me! Murphy over good old dad's night night stories?"

Throwing one of her pillows at her father, Maggie giggled and said, "Stop being so silly Dad, it's just that Aunt Murphy doesn't make silly sounds when she reads to me."

"Fiiiiine, but I should tell you, Aunt Murphy always makes silly sounds when she reads to me in bed." Harry joked, before yelping as Murph sneaked up behind him and smacked the upside of his head.

"Pig. I never read to you in bed.", Murphy countered. "And yes, Maggie I will read the last chapters of Nancy Drew to you."

Sliding off the bed to make space for his girlfriend, Harry stood and put his hands on his hips, "Oink Oink. Way to go, ganging up on the only boy in the house."

"Woof", barked Mouse in indignation, as if insulted that Harry didn't include him.

"He's right, Daddy! Mouse is a boy in this house too!", agreed Maggie.

"Alright alright, enjoy Nancy Drew voiced by the cutest detective in town," Harry joked as he walked towards the door to leave.

"Who are you calling cute, mister?", answered Murphy as she settled down to read the book to Maggie. In response, Harry just winked at her and shut the door behind him.

"Ewww, love dovey stuff", said Maggie as she wrinkled her nose in fake disgust. Mouse thumped his tail in agreement, while Murph laughed then opened up the book and began to read.

"Alright kiddo, its getting late. We can finish up the last chapter tomorrow night," said Murphy as she closed the book and ran her hand down Maggie's hair.

"Okay, fine", agreed Maggie as she settled down on the bed. She reached out for Murphy's hand with one of her own and asked, "One day, will you let me and Mouse and Daddy live with you?"

Murphy swallowed as she fought to fight back the tears that were threatening to fall, she cleared her throat and said, "Well, I would love to have you and Harry come live with me, but I think that's a question you need to ask your Dad too."

"Really?! You would be ok with me living with you?", responded a clearly delighted Maggie. From the foot of her bed, Mouse woofed in agreement.

"Yeah I really would, kiddo," Murphy said brushing her hand through Maggie's locks. That little lockbox she kept her dreams of being a mother was being unlocked and opened wider than ever, despite the everpresent potential dangers she and Harry faced every day, she knew it was within her to defend the little girl to her dying breath.

Maybe, Maggie wasn't her _daughter_ but she was slowly working her way into Murph's heart. Hell, there was a time she thought she couldn't have space in her heart for another man, definitely not after two failed marriages. Alas, Harry magicked himself a space within her heart, and if a six-foot magic-wielding Winter Knight could do it; then her heart stood no chance against a little girl and her giant dog.

Harry rapped his knuckles against the doorframe, startling Murphy out of her trance and she leapt off the bed. The Nancy Drew chapter book fell from her limp fingers as she just stood by the bed shaking her head as if to shake off cobwebs.

Maggie frowned and asked, "Aunt Murphy, are you ok?"

Slowly stepping towards Murphy, Harry leaned down to pick up the book and brushed his knuckles down her arm. "Murph, honey? You still with us?", he questioned as he placed the book on the bedside table.

"Yeah yeah, sorry Mags. I just got carried away thinking," answered Murphy as she brushed off nonexistent dust from her shirt and walked to the door.

"Good night Aunt Murphy!" called out Maggie as she watched Murph step out of the room and into the narrow hallway.

"Good night Mags, sleep well!" replied Murph, walking down the hallway presumably towards her own room.

Hearing the slow steps fade away, Harry turned his attention back to Maggie and asked, "What was that about?"

"I dunno daddy, I just asked her if she wanted us to live with her. And then, she kinda just, zoned out" replied Maggie, along with her recounting, she lifted her hands and imitated two mouths opening and closing as if to illustrate a conversation.

Grinning in amusement, Harry adjusted his Led Zeppelin t-shirt as he sat on the recently vacated bedside, "Well, maybe Aunt Murphy was just surprised by your question."

"But why would she be? I know you love her and she loves you and I like her and she clearly likes me and mouse too. Or else, she wouldn't let us stay with her this weekend"

Harry ran his hand through his hair, he was just downright impressed with how intuitive Maggie was at this age. Sensing his reluctance to answer, Maggie pressed on, "You know I really like Aunt Murphy, I think she is so awesome and she fights bad guys. And she's also really funny like when she does her detective comments when she reads to me"

"I know Magpie. I love your Aunt Murphy a lot too," Harry emphasized as he tried to think of a way to explain the complexity of his beloved Karrin's perspective on life to his daughter.

Maggie nodded like she was digesting what he was saying and remarked, "Well if you love her so much and you live together and do the eewy stuff like kissing, can I start calling her Mom?"

Harry choked on his breath as he struggled to find and connect words to a coherent sentence to answer her question. When he risked a glance back to the doorframe, he noticed that there was a shadow covering the light of what was supposed to be an empty hallway.

"Kiddo, let's pick this up another time alright? It's already 11 pm and it's way past your bedtime." excused Harry as he slid off the bed and bent down to kiss Maggie's forehead.

"But you didn't answer my question Dad!" exclaimed Maggie, her pout making it clear that she wasn't ready to drop the topic quite yet.

"Alright kiddo, if you want an answer. You'll have to ask Aunt Murphy yourself, but as for me, I think it is lovely that you want to call her Mom," replied Harry as he clicked off her bedside lamp.

Stepping away from the bed, he patted Mouse on the head and slowly turned the knob of the door to exit. "Good night Magpie, sleep well."

"Good night Daddy! Say good night to Aunt Murphy for me too!"

Harry gave her a thumbs up and crept out of the room. Shutting the door behind him, he glanced up to find a teary-eyed Karrin hugging herself. It suddenly hit Harry that the shadow he saw by the door was Murphy standing in the hallway listening in on their conversation.

Understanding her reaction, he wrapped his stocky frame around her as if to shield her from the world and kiss the top of her head. Harry could feel her hot tears seep into his nightshirt as he gently swayed with her from side to side in an attempt to comfort her.

"She meant it, she wants me, she really does," whispered Murphy over and over again like a chant, as if in disbelief that the little girl truly wanted to call her mom.


	3. Doubts

Harry was well aware of how soaked his Led Zeppelin night shirt now was, but truthfully, he really couldn't care less. His daughter had reduced the great bulwark of strength that was Karrin Murphy to tears in the best way possible.

"Shut up Dresden," murmured Murphy as her face was still firmly settled on Harry's chest. "I can literally hear you thinking from out here."

Swallowing a snarky comment, Harry ran his hand through Karrin's hair as his other hand gently drew circles on the small of her back. He could hear Murphy audibly sigh in pleasure as he did both.

"Sorry. I don't know what hit me. I didn't even mean to eavesdrop. I was just walking back from the kitchen and I heard Maggie and," explained Murphy, but before she could say more, Harry bent and kissed her lips.

Karrin tiptoed so their foreheads could touch, Harry drew his head back a bit but left his forehead resting on hers. His right hand rested on her cheek and he whispered, "You don't have to explain Murph. We don't even have to have this conversation tonight."

Left speechless by Harry's understanding, Karrin slowly nodded and stepped away from his embrace. She kept her hands to herself as if afraid to reach out to him again, turning her body away from his, and she paced away from Harry heading towards her bedroom.

Surprised by her sudden change in demeanor, Harry took two long strides and caught her hand with his damaged left. Tugging her back to him, Harry asked, "What's wrong Karrin?"

Not trusting her voice, Karrin shook her head and stayed stock still.

"Alright fine, I get it. You gotta digest first."

At that moment, all Karrin wanted to do was break down and scream about how he really didn't understand. How he couldn't understand how she had locked away her dreams of being a mother. How he wouldn't understand that unlike him, she didn't know if she could adapt to being a mother.

Instead, Karrin pushed herself away from Harry and simply said, "I need to go and get ready for bed."

Harry just stood in the narrow hallway, shocked by her actions and her equally surprising brusque remark. He slid his hands into his pockets and quietly followed her into the bedroom and then into the toilet.

Seeming to ignore him, Karrin went about washing her face and then pulling out her toothbrush and squeezing toothpaste onto the brush head. She suddenly tensed up as Harry put his arms around her body and rested his head on her shoulder.

For a moment he didn't say anything until Karrin took a deep breath and exhaled, then relaxed her shoulders, releasing the tension in her muscles. She gently turned her head and nuzzled Harry's neck, earning her a sigh of relief from Harry.

"I love you Karrin, and so does Maggie," he whispered.

"I know Harry, I love you and I love Maggie too. I just don't know how to be a mom yet," she replied, moving her face away from him.

"I've had two failed marriages, between those and my crazy dangerous life, I never thought I could be a mother. No matter how much I wanted to be."

She hesitated a moment, sort of waiting to hear a response from Harry. Hearing none, she continued on like a dam had just broken apart and her feelings were rushing out like a geyser of water.

"I see how you adjusted and adapted to being a father, yes it came with challenges but you just rode it out as best as you could. I love that in you, hell for a moment I wanted for us to start a family together. But between Mab, Marcone, me losing my job, you becoming the Winter Knight and everything in between. I just knew, it wouldn't and couldn't work."

Taking a breath in, Karrin felt Harry squeeze her tighter but it wasn't painful, it was a gentle comforting squeeze.

"Then, Maggie came into my life. She accepted me as Aunt Murphy, embraced me as someone else she could love. Like her little heart just had so much space for the Carpenters, Thomas, You and finally, me. She might not be my flesh and blood, but every time I look at her, I see less and less of Susan and more and more of myself. Maybe not physically, but I see Maggie becoming more like me, wanting to be more like me."

She paused, wiping tears away from her cheeks with her left hand. Harry just held on to her and listened.

"I almost hate myself for wanting to see more of myself in her, I don't want her to become cold, jaded and locked down. Maybe she's too innocent now, but what happens when she realizes that I'm a broken person? What happens when she becomes old enough to see through my facade, see all the scars and tears I hide from the world?"

More tears came running down her cheeks, and she made no attempt to wipe them away. Her voice cracked with emotion and each word became muffled as her nose became stuffy.

"What happens to me on the day she realizes Aunt Murphy isn't half as brave, badass and bold as she seems? What then Harry?"

Like a train running out of steam, Karrin visibly folded into herself, dropping the toothbrush she was white knuckling and wept. Without saying a word, Harry swept her off her feet and tenderly carried her to the bed. Settling her down on her side of the bed, he reached out for a box of tissues and dutifully handed it to her. As Karrin blew her nose and wiped away tears, Harry simply sat beside her, giving her space to deflate and just rubbed circles into her back.

"Thank you," she croaked out, nose still stuffy and clearly decompressing from the outburst of emotion.

"What are you thanking me for babe?" asked Harry as he continued rubbing her back.

"For just being here for me. For listening. For being you."

"You're most welcome Karrin. I love you. I'm always going to be here for you. And I want you to know, you are every bit as brave, bold and badass as you were when I first met you on that bridge. Hell, you're the most beautiful woman I've ever loved and I'm regularly surrounded by fae and vampires."

Blushing, Karrin lightly jabbed his shoulder but then leaned on him as she tried to think of a retort.

Without letting up, Harry continued, "I don't and will never see you as a broken person. You've always been my guardian angel, equipped with a blonde halo and a sword of pure hope. It's true, we both have scars and jagged edges but like puzzle pieces, we fit together. Maggie doesn't just love you for what she sees on the outside, but I know she loves you for who you are."

Feeling tears well up in her eyes once again, Karrin replied, "But I don't want to be a replacement for Susan. I don't want Maggie to believe I'm just replacing the only mother she has ever known in both her life and yours."

Seeing Karrin tear up again, tore up Harry on the inside. All he wanted to do was shield her from the doubts she cast on herself.

Harry explained, "She wants to call you Mom, not because you're replacing the only other mother she has ever known, but because she can see that you love her unconditionally and she wants to be loved by someone, by you."

He watched as the words landed with an impact on Karrin. The statement piercing through her doubts like Fidelacchius slicing away at a Denarian.

Blinking away her tears, Karrin embraced Harry with all her might, letting his body envelope hers. Thanking him for his never wavering support, she kissed him and whispered, "I love you Harry. When she's ready to call me mom, I know I'll be ready to be one."

"I love you too Karrin, and I know you will." replied Harry as he gently lifted her up, shoved away the covers and tucked her into bed. He fell into place behind her, almost like a wall protecting her small frame. With a bit of drawn Will, he shut the lights off and drew her in closer to him.

Snuggling to fit his frame, Karrin settled into him and sighed as the mental and physical exhaustion from her emotional outburst lulled her into slumber.

Lightly pushing away loose strands of hair away from her face, Harry watched as his beloved Murphy let herself relax. Kissing her cheek, he whispered into her ear, "I told you we fit together like pieces of a puzzle."

He watched as her mouth twitched up into a grin in response, before falling back to a neutral position as sleep claimed her.


	4. Nightmares

Thunder seemed to crackle throughout wherever he was, Harry kept looking around searching for the origins of the thunder. For starters, he was somewhere that didn't seem to have a sky, a place that had no lightning illuminating the atmosphere and accompanying the thunder. Despite this, he could hear and feel the power of the thunder shaking the ground and charging the air with electricity.

"Murph? Maggie?", shouted Harry as he fruitlessly continued to get his bearings. Funny thing is, he remembered falling asleep in bed with Karrin, and he remembered saying goodnight to Maggie. So, he must be dreaming.

But what kind of dream was he in, where he could feel thunder and shaking?

"Daddy! Noooo," shattered his focus, Maggie's scream pierced through the air liquefying Harry's insides as he scrambled to help her.

Harry's eyes split open as he jumped from bed and grabbed his blasting rod from the bedside table. Scrambling for the door in darkness, he suddenly felt the walls of the house shudder from an unknown force.

Stumbling out of the Karrin's bedroom, he pushed his way through the strange haze of pulsing energy forcing him back with every step. He fought his way towards his daughter's bedroom, drawing his Will and preparing a shield. Arriving at the closed door, he reared up and swung his foot to kick the door down.

Simultaneously, Karrin was shaken awake by some sudden movement and sensing danger, she instinctively pulled her Sig Sauer from her bedside table drawer. Pawing at the abruptly empty bed, she realized Harry wasn't in bed either so she quickly charged the slide of her Sig and ran for the door.

She hesitated the moment she left the threshold of her own bedroom, primarily because she felt an intense pulsing energy pushing at her. She noticed her shelves rattling with the numerous glasses and loose cups prattling against each other.

Anguished cries echoed through the narrow hallway and living room of the house. The screams galvanized Karrin into action, she quickly turned heel and cleared the kitchen then her living room. Her Sig sweeping each empty room in search of an intruder or some enemy to take down.

Satisfied with her clearance of the area, she realized Harry must have run to his daughter. Just as she began to take her first steps headed there, she heard a loud crack as though a door had been splintered, which pushed her to sprint towards the room instead.

"Maggie!", bellowed Harry as he held his left glove up shielding him from the pulsing energy and in his right, his blasting rod sweeped the small room.

On the bed, Maggie Dresden was writhing and screaming incoherently as if possessed by some demon. Flung to the side, was the limp and unmoving body of an unconscious Mouse.

Still dressed in just his night shirt and boxers, Harry leapt onto the bed and shook his daughter awake. Harry drew his Will and forced the Winter Knight mantle down as it reared its ugly head striving to come out to face the danger that was Harry's daughter.

Adrenaline pumping, Harry leveraged his weight over Maggie's tiny frame to restrain her flying limbs. He noticed that as he held her down, the pulsing energy has stopped sending waves of force through the house. Harry noted the fact in the back of his mind as he struggled to restrain his daughter, somehow she was wielding magic uncontrollably.

Hearing the rush of footsteps behind him, Harry shouted out, "Karrin! Grab her legs and make sure she doesn't hurt herself!" Understanding what Harry said but not quite comprehending what her boyfriend was doing, she quickly grabbed Maggie's legs and held them down.

"Cmon, baby, wake up." Harry chanted as he used his magic to reach out to his semi-conscious daughter in an attempt to wake her. Her seizure had slowly abated which made it easier for him to focus his Will on her.

Gasping with breath, Maggie Dresden awoke from her nightmare and realized she was being held down by her father and Aunt Murphy. The events leading up to it was fresh in her mind and grief bubbled up out of her as she began sobbing in Harry's arms.

"You died, Daddy! You fell off a cliff and Uncle Thomas was there and he just let you fall!", sobbed Maggie as she struggled to explain her nightmare in between big heaving sobs.

Harry held onto her through her ordeal, gently stroking her hair in an attempt to ease her grief. In his peripheral, Karrin was trying to wake Mouse as he continued to lay limp and unconscious by the wall. Her hand was placed low on the Foo dog's chest near its elbow joints in an effort to feel his heartbeat. It appeared that Mouse had tried to aid Maggie but was flung away by the pulsing energy, it was more than likely the Foo dog had hurt its head on impact with the wall.

"I'm here Magpie, here and alive. See, I'm here and Aunt Murphy's here", explained Harry as he continued to try and calm his daughter. Maggie nodded and relaxed into his embrace as she realized it had just been a nightmare and wasn't real.

Harry stood up, still carrying Maggie, and walked out of the bedroom heading towards the living room so he could check her for any potential wounds. Karrin's hand stopped him by the doorframe and she whispered, "Let me take her, I can calm her down but I can't carry or help Mouse."

Hesitating with the thought of giving up his daughter, logic hammered its way through his emotions and he knew that Karrin would never hurt Maggie. So he held Maggie out towards Karrin's waiting arms and told her, "Ok Magpie, I'm gonna hand out to your Aunt Murphy alright? I need to make sure Mouse is okay."

Nodding in his arms in reply, Maggie let Karrin take her and she rested her head on Karrin's shoulder to let her know it was alright. Stepping out of the room, Murphy kept her hand tangled in Maggie's short locks and continued massaging her scalp to calm her down. When she arrived at the living room, she flipped on the lights and sat down by the main couch to settle Maggie down.

Whimpering at the loss of touch, Maggie smuggled closer towards Murphy's chest as if it were a shield to protect her. Murphy understood Maggie's fears and let her snuggle closer as she slid into the couch to allow Maggie to lie over her. Murphy removed the Sig from her back pocket and placed it within easy reach by the coffee table near the couch. Her hands now free, she began to console Maggie by running her hands in comforting circles on the little girl's back.

Back in the bedroom, Harry brushed his hair back with his right hand after slipping his blasting rod into the garter of his boxers as a way of holstering it. He knelt down to pick up Mouse and with a grunt of exertion, lifted the giant Foo dog onto his shoulders. He noted that Mouse had not even remotely stirred during the action which meant he truly was knocked out.

He gingerly stepped out of the bedroom with the dog until he reached the living room where he saw Karrin laying on the couch cuddling his daughter. How funny life could be, for many years he had crashed on that very same couch, riddled with bruises and getting patched up by Murphy. Now, there she was cuddling his daughter in her arms and comforting her like a true mother. In a way, he guessed, it was destined that Karrin would fit in his life so perfectly and by extension Maggie's life.

Harry walked over to the parallel loveseat and laid Mouse on it to properly examine the Foo dog. He ran his hands through the dog's coat and head searching for some sort of wound or contusion. Eventually, Harry gave up after finding none and noted to himself to ask Molly or Waldo about healing the dog. Picking up a throw pillow, he slipped it under Mouse's head so he could rest properly, or at least as comfortably as a big dog could on a loveseat.

Turning his attention to his two girls, Harry knelt next to Karrin's head while she rested with Maggie on the couch. He kissed Maggie's forehead first then kissed Karrin on the lips as she turned her head to address him.

"Did you hear what she said about the nightmare?" asked Harry as he combed his hand through Maggie's hair.

"Yeah, I did. Somehow she got in her head that Thomas was Scar and he let you slip off a cliff like Mufasa." replied Murph, she carefully whispered to Harry in order to let Maggie rest.

Harry shook his head, and remarked, "How could she think that Thomas would do that to me? While he might be my vampire half-brother, he certainly isn't anything like Scar."

In response, Murph just shrugged, or at least wiggled her shoulders.

"I read somewhere that a kid's subconscious can twist weird things, do we just chalk that up to wierd or do we need to get her a therapist?"

Laying a hand on Harry's cheek, Murph said, "I think we can chalk it up to weird, you're a good father, Harry. You don't need to get her a therapist."

"Alright, but maybe we should talk to her or something. Also, DAMN!", yelped Harry mid-sentence, he realized that while Karrin may have swept the house with her Sig but she couldn't have checked the magical wards.

Stirring from her sleep, Maggie shifted a bit on Karrin's chest but otherwise didn't react to Harry's outburst. In response, Karrin glared back at Harry as he methodically checked every ward and trap by the perimeter of the house. Maybe, for just a few moments, Karrin may have ogled him as he knelt to check the wards.

Satisfied that all the magical wards were functioning, Harry re-locked the front door of the house and returned to the living room. By then, Mouse began to stir on the loveseat and Karrin could see the Foo dog raise his head scanning the room, almost perplexed as to how he had moved from Maggie's bedroom to the living room.

Seeing his predicament, Harry walked over to the loveseat and helped the dog down to the living room floor. As Mouse hopped down, he noticed Maggie's prone form lying on top of Karrin's chest and he swiveled his head towards Harry as if demanding some sort of explanation.

Humoring the dog, Harry explained, "Your bestie had a nightmare and you must have hit your head falling off the bed. She woke Murphy and I up, so now we are here."

Understanding what Harry said, Mouse nodded his head and padded over to the couch where Karrin and Maggie lay. He sniffed Maggie as if to check her welfare, satisfied with his examination, Mouse lay back down on the living room rug.

Harry sat down cross legged by Mouse's head and gently petted the dog as he did so, Karrin turned towards him as best as she could while lying on the couch and she murmured, "Harry, I'm starting to fall asleep again, and I hate sleeping on this couch."

As someone who had spent one too many nights on the less than cozy couch, Harry understood all too well how crooked your back can get after a night on that couch.

"Alright, lemme lift you both. Hold on to Mags so we don't wake her up," answered Harry as he slowly slid his hands under Karrin's back in preparation to lift them both up. He paused as Karrin took her Sig from the coffee table and holstered it behind her back, presumably slipping it into the waistband.

With a grunt of exertion, Harry lifted Karrin up into his shoulder as she cradled a sleeping Maggie in her arms. Seeing the movement, Mouse got up to accompany the trio to the master bedroom as well. Moving slow, to avoid waking Maggie up, Harry took his time toeing his way towards Karrin's bedroom.

Eventually he reached the door and as he nudged it open with his foot, Mouse decided to help out by pushing it wide open with his body.

"Hmph, door meet dog," remarked Harry as he gingerly laid down Karrin on her side of the bed and walked back over to his side to slide under the covers.

Karrin locked away her Sig back into her bedside drawer and on the opposite side of the bed, Harry removed his shield bracelet and laid his blasting rod onto his bedside table. It was a testament to their dangerous day jobs that their respected weapons were so close to them even as they slept.

Seeing Karrin and Harry get ready for bed, Mouse decided to hop up and lay down at the foot of their queen sized bed. Karrin laid out a pillow in the middle of the bed and rested Maggie's head on it before laying herself down beside Maggie's prone form.

Harry could hear Maggie's slow breathing as the last of the adrenaline faded and her body let her rest. Harry reached out for the comforter blanket and covered up Maggie and Karrin with it as he too, slipped under the covers.

"God, I can't believe she used magic for the first time," whispered Karrin as she combed her fingers through Maggie's hair.

"I can't quite believe it either, whatever happens, I can't. I won't let my life affect hers," replied Harry. He reached out for Karrin's hand beneath the covers and gripped it with gentle passion.

"Harry, don't beat yourself up over it. You're doing a great job as a father, and with all the help you can get, she can be protected."

Karrin knew deep down that Harry would always have reservations about his daughter becoming a magic user, but seeing the way Maggie has let loose her magic by accident in a nightmare made all his fears multiply.

Gripping his hand tighter, Karrin cuddled closer to him and by extension Maggie, and quietly said, "Harry, its been a long day and an even tiring night, lets deal with this in the morning."

"Murph. It is the morning," Harry deadpanned as he motioned to the clock on the wall that read 3:15 AM.

Karrin snorted and replied, "I meant let's sort it out at a less ungodly time in the morning."

Harry nodded and leaned over to kiss Karrin on the lips then Maggie's forehead, he whispered "Good night, my favorite girls. I love you."

For a moment, silence reigned and then surprisingly, Maggie murmured back, "Good night Daddy. Goodnight Mommy. Love you too." Before snuggling closer to Karrin and leaning back onto her chest.

And in the dim light, Harry watched as a tear fell and coursed its way down Karrin's face as she smiled back at him.


	5. Family Time

Harry's eyes slowly widened as the rays of sunshine penetrated the thin curtains pulled shut over the lone window in Karrin's bedroom. He noticed rather quickly the absence of two other warm bodies in the bed, pawing around the bed with his right hand while his left covered his eyes in a poor attempt to shield them from the god awfully bright sun. Rolling over to his side, Harry could see the imprint of Maggie and Karrin's bodies on the bed.

Groaning in grogginess and wiping his hand over his face, Harry swung his legs off the bed and stood up. Stretching out, he could _feel_ how physically exhausted he was from last night's terrifying festivities. That being said, his mantle was just about jittering with energy as if the physical act of pushing through chaotic magic was just the prologue to a larger battle.

"Jesus Christ!", exclaimed Harry as the events of the night hammered its way into his sleep-addled mind. His daughter had a nightmare which resulted in the rather traumatic activation of her magic, pulsing energy had shaken the house with unbridled force and it took Harry a not-insignificant amount of effort to push through it all. And to think, all of that came out of a Lion King-inspired nightmare consisting of Thomas effectively killing Harry ala Scar murdering Mufasa.

Shivering with just the thought of his half-brother turning to the Dark side, Harry removed his shirt and shrugged on a fresh one from the closet. There were still times where Harry had to pinch himself to just make sure that his current life wasn't just a dream, as though some wicked fairy would pop out only to reveal that his daughter and living with Karrin was just some twisted illusion. While Harry wasn't one to start thanking some higher being for what he had, he certainly was thankful that under the circumstances, his life was pretty damn sweet.

Slipping on a pair of flipflops, Harry made his way out of the bedroom, barely a few steps out into the living room and he could smell the divine aroma of freshly cooked pancakes. His stomach grumbled as if it were reacting to the flavours in the air, but it was more likely that using magic and falling sleep didn't replenish as much energy as he would've liked.

A few giggles filtered out of the kitchen, whether it was Karrin or Maggie, it was anyone's guess. Harry let himself smile as he imagined his two favourite girls spending time together, especially now that Maggie had begun to call Karrin - mom. Ah then, Mouse just had to interrupt his ponderance of life with a big doggy hug as the Foo dog curled his massive body around Harry's legs. As far as dog hugs went, Harry thought that was a pretty solid dog hug. Bending down to pat the dog on the head, Harry heard a squeal of delight and was swayed a bit as a smaller impact hit him side on.

"Daddy's awake! Good morning Dad!", cried Maggie as she hugged her father who was now sitting on the floor after being taken down by the combination of a Foo dog and a little girl.

"Good morning munchkin, what've you been up to?" asked Harry as he lifted up Maggie and walked over to the kitchen. He crept up behind Karrin, used his free hand to curl it over her waist and pull her to him. He dipped his head to kiss her which resulted in Maggie turning her head away and saying, "ewwwwy".

Pulling her head away, Karrin replied, "Maggie why don't you tell Daddy what we made?"

Taking the cue from Murphy, the little girl hopped out of Harry's arms and trotted over to the kitchen counter where at her height, she could just barely get her arms over to reach for the serving plate. "Look, Daddy! We made choco-chip pancakes!", exclaimed a very excited Maggie as she rushed to show off the breakfast goods.

Harry nodded with equal enthusiasm as he folded his hand onto Karrin's as he steered her towards the rickety wooden table she labelled her 'dining' table even though most of its uses were for cleaning her weapons or patching up wounds. As Karrin took her seat, Harry helped Maggie place the overburdened plate of pancakes onto the table and drew his own seat out.

While sliding down onto the seat, Harry noticed his favourite mug had something new on it. He turned the mug to get a better view of the hand-scrawled word that was newly emblazoned on the side of his cup, first a D then an A followed by two more Ds and finally a Y crept into view. Harry's mind was slow to connect the crooked letters but as he opened his mouth to verbally connect each letter, it quickly dawned on him that the word was, "DADDY".

Eyes widening and his jaw dropping into a wide O, Harry turned to Karrin as she lifted her own mug in solidarity and twisted it to showcase the brand new addition of "MOMMY" adorned on her plain coloured mug. Harry could just _feel_ how happy Karrin was, from just showing off her newly decorated mug and from spending the morning cooking with Maggie. The joy radiated around her which frankly, was rather intoxicating.

Suddenly a smaller mug thrust into his view, "Look, Mom gave me my own mug for when I sleep over here!", explained Maggie as she waved her orange juice-filled mug under his gaze as she too, proudly showed off who the mug belonged to. Harry ruffled her hair and replied, "so I think that means you'll be sleeping here more often huh?"

"Of course! Mommy says I can stay here whenever she's home", cried an indignant Maggie as she struggled to grapple with Harry's sarcastic question. For a moment it seemed like the glorious breakfast mood would be broken by a temper tantrum.

With a glare shot at a shocked Harry, Karrin cut off Maggie before she could say more by saying, "Alright sweetie, you know your dad was just saying that you can have more sleepovers here, let's dig into those choco-chip pancakes we made before it gets too cold."

Maggie's pout morphed into a sheepish grin as she nodded and hopped onto her chair. Behind her, Mouse padded over to the space between her and Harry's chair and promptly sat patiently waiting for his own breakfast.

"Mom, can we give a pancake to Mouse?", asked Maggie as she began to pet Mouse's head and then pointed to him as his stomach grumbled audibly as if to reinforce the question.

Laughing a bit, Harry couldn't help but explain to his daughter that dogs couldn't eat chocolate chip pancakes because chocolate wasn't good for them. That did not go over well with the little girl as she began to ask why and all Harry could say was, "Well, I'm not sure exactly why but I think chocolate can kill dogs."

The horrified look on Maggie's face was all the incentive for Karrin to get up, pinch Harry's ear for his insensitivity then take a plate of plain pancakes from the kitchen counter for Mouse to eat. Karrin sat back down with a huff and turned to Maggie to gently say, "Dogs can't digest all that sweet stuff in chocolate so that's why you can't give Mouse any choco-chip pancakes."

You could almost see the little gears in Maggie's brain as she mulled what Karrin had explained and then like a ship righting itself from a tilt, the little girl just nodded thoughtfully and bounced back to focusing on eating her pancakes.

Harry shook his head at the seemingly natural maternal instinct that just magically kicked in after Maggie adopted Karrin as her mom. About time it happened, he thought as he curled his hand over Karrin's while they both dug into the pancakes.

"You know Maggie, now that you have your own mug here, why don't we go shopping for new bedroom things for you too?", asked Karrin in between bites.

The poor girl had just put another bite into her mouth and so she let her eyes express the absolute delight of buying new things, she chewed faster in order to answer Murphy quicker as though the offer would disappear.

Unfortunately for Maggie, she was once again interrupted mid-sentence as the front door thudded several times and a muffled shout came from behind the door, "Harry! Open up! I know you're in there!"

Harry's face paled as he recognized the voice, he grumbled as he stood from the dining table to open the door. Dreading the end of a peaceful morning, Harry reluctantly opened the front door, revealing the rather overdressed figure of the Winter Lady otherwise known as

"MOLLY!", cried Maggie as she hopped off her chair by the kitchen table to greet her foster sister which had Mouse wagging his tail in delight as he saw the little girl run to the front door.

"Hey there Lil Mags!", greeted Molly as she pulled the little girl towards her in a remarkably warm embrace, or at least as warm an embrace as the Winter Lady could muster up.

"What brings you by Grasshopper?", asked Harry as he ushered Molly into the house and shut the door.

Wary of the little girl in her arms, Molly turns her head where she knows Maggie wouldn't be able to see her face and locked eyes with Harry to let him know that Mab needs them both for something. She could see the sincere hope in Harry's eyes fade, his expression slowly morphing from the upbeat father figure to the more serious and frankly chilling look of his Winter Knight mantle.

Harry nervously swallowed and tamped down the Mantle, he walked over to Karrin who was now standing by the closet, ready to retrieve his coat in preparation for his abrupt departure. He leans down and kisses her on the lips then the forehead. With a solemn look, Harry simply says "Duty calls."

Murph nods and understands immediately, she pulls away from him to retrieve the new revolver for Harry from her bedroom gun safe. Harry follows her to the bedroom to change into more suitable clothing as well as retrieving his belt along with the holsters for his blasting rod and revolver.

Meanwhile, Molly had sat down on the newly vacated kitchen table chairs and dug into the choco-chip pancakes as she patiently listened to Maggie's excited retelling of the Lion King.

Like the dutiful older sister that she is, Molly nods along as Maggie animatedly talks about the talking animals and the song Hakuna Matata. At some point, Molly notices in the corner of her eye, Harry and Karrin's favourite mugs now proudly adorned with DADDY and MOMMY on their exteriors.

Back in the bedroom, Murph is enveloped in a deep embrace with Harry and before letting him go, she whispers to him, "Be safe, and make sure you come back to us."

"Hells bells, Karrin. I can't tell you how much I don't want to leave. But, Mab.", Harry exclaims as he curls his hand into her golden hair.

All Murphy can do is sigh in exasperation with that name, and she guides Harry out of the room holding onto his hand. She walks over and stands near the front door, silently hoping Harry just changes his mind and stays in. But, she also knows that would never happen, as a former cop she knows the call of duty is one that cannot be ignored.

Harry crosses the room towards the coat closet, donning his leather coat and then taking his carved staff from the closet.

Maggie giggles as she watches her parents quietly getting ready, and she remarks, "Daddy, you look like a really tall Rafiki, you know the monkey with a stick like yours in the Lion King."

Letting out a guffaw, Harry leans down and kisses Maggie on the forehead, "Be good for Daddy alright. I need to go with Molly to do my job. When I get back we can sing Hakuna Matata."

"Don't worry! I'll be good. I'm sure Mommy and I can find things to do while you're away."

Karrin grinned as she agreed with Maggie in an effort to ease the sad tension in the room, "That's right Magpie, we are gonna get you Star Wars pillowcases and bedspreads!"

Clapping her hands in excitement, Maggie squealed in delight and let herself be carried by Karrin as she ushered Harry towards the front door.

"Alright munchkin, Daddy's gonna see you soon. Love you, Murph!", Harry waved as he stepped through the open door and reluctantly walked out of the house. Turning back towards the awning, all he could see was Murphy, Maggie and Mouse watching him leave.

A rather amused Molly waited by the car and she nodded to Harry while smirking, "So, it seems like you had a productive weekend."

Harry grinned back at her and said, "Let's get this show on the road Grasshopper, before I turn heel and run back to my two favourite girls."


End file.
